Molly Sullivan

There is a tendency in reality TV for viewers not to remember a name, but to identify someone through their actions. James Rhine, of "Big Brother 6" and "Big Brother All-Stars," was that guy who swore on The Bible and then broke the promise, upsetting a few people. But before the lying, cheating and manipulating, he hadn't considered going on a reality show, other than years ago when trying out for "The Real World" or to be an MTV VJ was what twenty-somethings did. "`Big Brother' found me from my MySpace page...saw pictures...and that I was a corporate investigator and interrogated people for a living," Rhine says. And the rest, as they say, is MySpace history.

After getting "Big Brother"'s email, Rhine put off school, work and modeling in Miami to find out what reality TV was all about. "It wasn't like a job interview...I argued with the producers and wanted to show them who I was exactly," he says. "In fact, when I first went in I said `Hi, my name is James and I'm an asshole.'" And that bluntness made him a reality star with everyone watching--twenty-four hours a day as "Big Brother" fans watched through the Web site. "It's a little weird to hear people saying `At 4am James got up to use the bathroom.'"

He didn't leave the house for long--he was chosen to come back for the "All-Stars" season. But this time around, Rhine had to campaign to get in, going on the Mancow show and setting up a blood drive. America voted him in for a second round and he was back to his old tricks. "One thing I should have done this time is watched my language and the personal attacks," he admits. Despite getting the chance at easy money for three months work and an overall fun experience, Rhine felt constrained by the rules and was left slightly "disenfranchised with the whole thing."

In fact, he has never seen the "All-Stars" season after friends told him that he was destroyed on it. "The biggest buzz kill for watching reality TV is doing a reality show," Rhine believes. After recently being voted Sexiest Male in Reality TV, he thought he would head back to Miami, but instead stayed around Chicago. While modeling with Chosen Management, a branch of Elite, and bartending at the Underground Lounge, he's also hoping he'll get back to school to finish up his last year. "I probably would be at law school by now if I hadn't done this freaking show," Rhine laughs. But he says he would do it all over again--4am bathroom breaks and all.

(2007-02-20)

Also by Molly Sullivan

The Talk
I wholeheartedly feel for those men who break up with women by email or over voicemail, figuring out when they won't be home so they can avoid "the talk." I'm one of them, the female version, and I'm sure there are more of my kind out there
(2007-02-06)

Global Flavors
The Hideout is under the glow of the twinkling lights, for a night of storytelling--the crowd gathers calmly, nestles in. Passing by the bar, those in search of a peaceful ambiance find the Make magazine release party in the back, comfortably filling the room as the readings from the fourth issue begin
(2007-01-30)

Dog City
ARFhouse, a no-kill shelter, moved into Bucktown just five months ago, and pairs up tonight with its new neighbor, three-and-a-half-month-old Red Dog House, an upscale pet boutique, to get the word out that they are both open and here to stay
(2007-01-23)

The Art Community
Everyone knows a picture is worth a thousand words, but how many words does it take to create a picture? At Caro D'Offay Gallery you need only a few words to describe what you want the picture to look like and the rest will be left up to interpretation as "The Colorist Chess" exhibition opens for public collaboration
(2007-01-16)

Maxim-um Attention
(2007-01-09)

Portrait of a Man
(2006-12-19)

Choose Chomsky
(2006-12-12)

Oopsie Daisy
(2006-12-05)

Anime Marinara
(2006-11-28)

Machinehand
(2006-11-07)

Rolling Bling
(2006-10-17)

Only Connect
(2006-09-19)

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